The skirmish occurred on La Barceloneta beach, which for years has been at the centre of tension between holidaymakers and locals who say their working class area has been destroyed by mass Magaluf-style tourism.

A spokesman for the regional Mossos d’Esquadra police force, which sent officers to the scene, confirmed the incident had been dealt with by local police employed by Barcelona town hall.

No-one was immediately available for comment from the town hall explaining why the violence flared and whether the Brits had caught a member of the rival group trying to steal their belongings.

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A neighbourhood association which published footage of the beach fight remarked: ‘A normal day on La Barceloneta beach in Barcelona.’